The Santa Cruz Nomad has always catered to the aggressive rider who seeks every opportunity to get airborne and charge downhill at face-melting rates of speed, as well as those who prefer technical lines to dumbed-down options. It's also been a bike that could climb back uphill after the blistering descent is finished, giving it a bit more balance than many in the long-travel category. Building on this gravity-oriented legacy for the 2019 model year, the Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon R Complete Mountain Bike retains the slacked-out geometry, lower-link mounted shock configuration borrowed from the V10, and flip-chip with high/low geometry settings as the previous year Nomad; it's just updated in 2019 with fresh color schemes for an eye-catching aesthetic on the mountain. Although the previous generation Nomad aimed squarely at enduro domination, the newest generation is less of a dedicated race bike and more of a gravity rig that you can actually pedal uphill without struggling like other long-travel sleds. Think of it as a freeride bike for riders seeking one that's versatile enough to lap the resort park and shuttle downhill laps, then pedal along backcountry epics the very next day. The 65-degree head tube angle (in high setting) and longer reach keep things calm and comfortable on wicked descents, yet the steeper 75-degree seat tube angle puts you in an optimal pedaling position without struggling to shift your weight forward on steep climbs. The flip-chip integrated into the swingarm provides the ability to fine-tune its geometry to your exact riding preferences and local terrain. Keep it in the high setting for a more efficient pedaling platform on rides with a mix of blistering descents and steep climbs. Conversely, you can switch it to the low setting for an even slacker head tube of 64. 6 degrees purely aimed on downhill laps at the resort and shuttle runs up the pass where climbing isn't an issue. Ultimately, its adjustable geometry lends the ability to pus...